An actor’s attempt to create a new, distinct character every week, for fifty weeks. Video every FRIDAY.

Week 39: Stop Stealing Porn!

50in50 is back!

[First, huge thanks to C. Bay Milin, cinematographer extraordinaire. Bay has shot a ton of 50in50s and they always look great. Thanks again to Kevin MacLeod of Incomptech for the royalty free music. Kevin’s stuff has come through for me once again. Thanks also to Bizzle Ltd. for photoshopping porn posters.]

Today is my birthday, and I could think of no better way to celebrate another year of increased maturity than releasing this video. If you would like to get me a birthday present, here’s what I’d like: please take a quick moment to send this Funny Or Die link: http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/ad155ada1d/stop-stealing-porn to any/all of your friends who you think would enjoy this video, ask them to vote “Funny” and check out my other videos. I’m really trying to generate some buzz on Funny Or Die, and that would be a tremendous help. OR, if you have no friends, I did break a mic while shooting this episode (doing a bit that didn’t even get used), and there’s always the Donate Page…

Let me start by saying that it feels so good to be back. I hated (HATED) putting 50in50 on hiatus. It really weighed on me every single day I wasn’t working on it, but it had to be done. Frankly, it was almost entirely an issue of finances and time. In the late spring I managed to pick up a couple ongoing freelance gigs, which was what I had been hoping for (sort of). I mean, if I had to work on something that my heart isn’t 100% into, I wanted to see if I could at least set my own hours, and these were both decent gigs and at least semi-creative. It was one of those “be careful what you wish for” things, though, because I quickly realized that I am not so practiced at advanced time management.

More so, I realize I have a natural inclination to rebel against structure. Have had since I was a kid (just ask my mom). 50in50 is a good example of that, really, in that each episode is different from all the others. Anyway, I needed to step back in order to generate some sustained cashflow. Then I needed to streamline that process (and the rest of my life) in order to make time for 50in50 again. Essentially, I needed to embrace structure. I’m multitasking on a pretty intricate level, and I had to set a schedule and keep myself on it. This episode is the result of week one of my experiment in structure, and so far so good. 50in50 is back. Tweaking needs to be made to the schedule, as it’s a work in progress, but I’m encouraged.

Some fun-facts about this episode:
-I came up with this idea at the movies a while ago, when they showed one of those anti-piracy ads before the previews. I quickly ducked out of the theatre and recorded a voice-note on my phone. Griff originally sounded more Polish.
– The episode was going to be shot in Prospect Park using the side of the Bandshell as background. Upon arrival, however, we realized that it was right by the playground, and thus was swarming with kids. Fearing incarceration, we called an audible, jumped on our bikes, and went looking for a new location.– Visually, the location we found was PERFECT. Audio-wise, it’s hard to imagine a worse spot. This should have been a pretty quick shoot, but I’d say we shot two to three times more footage than we should have, all due to bad audio. Trucks constantly going by, planes flying right overhead, and random alarms going off for seemingly no reason. It’s really frustrating to have a good take ruined by something beyond your control. I found myself looking forward to the day when I’ll be shooting in a big studio lot. That day is coming…
– On the video, the shorts I’m wearing don’t look so absurdly small. Standing around on some random Brooklyn street, however, I was sure I was either going to get beat up or arrested for soliciting.

That’s about it. If you’re disappointed that my first episode back was something so puerile, tough luck. You’ll be happy to know, though, that I’m hoping to make up for it with next week’s episode. Who’s looking forward to Week 40?

On a personal note, thank you for sticking with me and with this project. It’s the toughest thing I’ve ever attempted, and though I wasn’t able to make it happen in fifty consecutive weeks, each video is still made in under a week, and I think the spirit of the project has been maintained. That wouldn’t have been possible without your support and encouragement throughout. I want you to know that I’m grateful to you, my viewers, friends, and fans. If all goes well, episodes should start coming fast and furious now. Stay tuned…